


Terra Cotta

by afropuff



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: First Times, M/M, None - Freeform, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 07:22:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/795391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afropuff/pseuds/afropuff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The boys spend a lovely Saturday afternoon shopping, eating, talking, and a few other things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Terra Cotta

## Terra Cotta

by afropuff

Thus far, I still don't own them, but I'm having a damn fine time with 'em.   


This was originally posted in the My Mongoose E-zine, "The Many Sequels of The Sentinel" and has timed out. I did not write "Citrus" with a sequel in mind, so this is for those of you who asked for one. Thanks, guys! And thanks, also, to Rosie, beta extraordinaire. Feedback makes me happy and I will gladly answer all.   


The story's title has nothing to do with clay. In this case, it's a color reference. Read "Citrus" and you'll get it. Hell, read it just because!   


This story is a sequel to: Citrus 

* * *

We'd been in the mall for about an hour, hanging out with the screaming children, surly teenagers, and bored husbands that always seem to be permanent fixtures - right up there with the plastic plants and ubiquitous fountains. I would've easily considered it to be a normal visit to that bastion of American retail. After all, it was a bright Saturday afternoon, the parking lot was full and the shops were busy. There was nothing unusual at all about that day or what Jim and I had chosen to do with it. 

Except that I had the taste of Jim's mouth on my tongue. I had a crystal-clear memory of how it felt to have my head gently locked in Jim Ellison's hands as he laid the kiss of a lifetime on me and forced me to the realization that orange juice isn't just for breakfast anymore. 

There was _nothing_ normal about that. But if I didn't know any better, I'd have sworn it didn't happen, because I looked up and we were in Pottery Barn looking at a wedding registry and trying to choose a gift for an engaged friend of his. The little "incident" of two hours prior hadn't been mentioned or even alluded to, but at that moment we were having the most meaningful conversation about the merits of pillar candles versus polished chrome retro clocks. 

"Well, which is cheaper?" I asked. 

He looked at me with a funny half smile. "They're the same price." 

"Are you kidding? These candles cost as much as that clock?" I shook my head in disbelief. "I don't trust those price tags, Jim." 

"And you're not helping, Chief." He steered us through the crowded store and we came across some interesting glassware. 

"What about these? It says they want twelve of them." 

"Those are pretty cool," I conceded. "I'd drink out of them. But _twelve_? Entertain a lot, do they?" 

"Well, Sandburg, twelve is a set." 

"No, Jim, _four_ is a set, _twelve_ is out of control," I answered with a chuckle. Something shiny and colorful caught my eye a few tables away. "Jim, check this out." It was an enormous earthenware bowl, fired with a glaze of yellow, orange, red and green in a Matisse-esque wildflower pattern. 

"What are they supposed to do with that, bathe in it?" Jim laughed. "It's huge!" 

I sighed dramatically, "Jim, have you no couth at all? It's a pasta bowl, for god's sake. Some people's children," I muttered with a grin. 

"Well, call it what you want, Martha. If it's not on this list, no sale, got it?" 

We walked away from the table and I gave it one last, admiring stroke. "Isn't my birthday coming up or something?" 

He gave me an indulgent smile and tugged on my jacket sleeve, making me laugh in spite of myself. I was noticing that my voice sounded a bit strange in my own head. It sounded forced. I felt like I was having this weird out of body experience, like I was really standing on the other side of the room watching myself have this perfectly unremarkable discussion with Jim when I knew inside I was totally unsettled. I had a sneaking suspicion that this was going to be a very, very long day. 

* * *

So there we were walking through the bright and wide space of the shopping center, Jim carrying the bag from Pottery Barn, which contained a compromise gift of six of the glasses and two of the candles (no pasta bowl), and me trying to act like everything was cool. Jim and I were making up stories about the people we saw around us. We decided that the woman sitting on the bench talking on her cell phone was actually talking to the guy on the other side of the Piercing Pagoda. They were having an affair and her husband had just gone into Brookstone to buy a vibrating hammock. The young girl wearing glasses walking toward us made porn movies in her basement. We were giggling and walking casually and comfortably, being silly and enjoying each other's company. We wandered in and out of stores and I was successfully ignoring just how different it all felt now that there'd been a rather major shift in the way Jim and I interact with each other. I mean, a kiss like that shakes the foundation a bit, you know? And believe me, that man not only shook my foundation, he shook my whole freakin' house. 

Like I said though, I was ignoring all that. I figured if we were going to discuss it, there was plenty of time to do it later. Besides, we were coming up on the food court. I was getting hungry and he _did_ say he was buying... 

Then I saw it. My stomach dropped and I almost laughed in disbelief. Was this the universe's way of playing a joke? There was a damned Orange Julius in front of me with its orange pictures and orange counters and orange uniforms... Well, suddenly, I couldn't ignore it any more. That kiss was coming back to mind full force, equipped with the finger sucking, chin licking and phallic fruit. I was breaking out into a light sweat and right then, I really needed answers. 

"Jim," I said, with just a hint of a questioning tone. 

"Hm?" 

"Are we gonna talk about this?" 

He looked at me quickly. "Talk about what?" 

I stopped walking and stared at him with my head tilted slightly to one side. Surely he wasn't _really_ going to pretend it never happened? "The thing we haven't been talking about for," I checked my watch, "three hours." I glanced significantly at the snack bar and he followed my gaze. He smiled and I think he even blushed a little. 

"You wanna get out of here?" 

"Yeah, Jim. I think that would be a good idea." 

* * *

Now that I'd brought it up, I was a nervous wreck. Even Jim Rock-of-Gibraltar Ellison seemed a little ruffled. I wondered how he was feeling about having kissed me like that this morning. At the time, he seemed okay with it. Of course, so did I. I'd been _extremely_ okay with it. It felt so natural and normal and right, there didn't seem to be any need to really be concerned about it. But now that we were back to being ourselves in a familiar capacity, I was beginning to worry. Would things change? More accurately, _how_ would things change? Perhaps the day was going to be longer than I thought. 

"You want to stop somewhere and eat? I have every intention of making good on that lunch offer," Jim said as we walked through the mall exit doors into the sunshine. 

My mind immediately returned to the event that was taking place when he'd originally made the offer. The resulting memory turned my stomach into a knot. "Uh, I'd really just like to go home, Jim." I focused on walking towards Jim's truck, which was still about five vehicles away. "We could maybe pick something up, but I'm not really up for eating out right now." 

"Okay," he answered softly with a glance in my direction. "What do you want?" 

I looked at him with what felt like a panicked expression. God, were we gonna talk about this _now_? 

" _To eat_ , Sandburg. Would you relax?" 

I took a deep breath and allowed myself to laugh a little. "Yeah, okay. Sorry, man." 

We reached my side of the truck and he unlocked my door, then turned to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Look, we're going to go home and we're going to talk about this, okay? We're going to clear everything up and it'll all be fine. Tell me what you want to eat, we'll pick it up, take it home and then go from there." He was looking at me with those eyes. The turtleneck and the sun made them so beautiful, and the sincerity in them made me want to kiss him again right then. I had to seriously talk myself down. "Does that sound good to you, Chief?" 

I nodded and swallowed quickly. "Yeah, that works." 

"Good." He smiled and patted my shoulder, then turned to go on his side of the truck. I got in and unlocked his door, taking another cleansing breath and sitting back in the seat. He got in and handed me the bag, which I put under my legs on the floor. "So, what's for lunch?" 

I shrugged, "Just drive and I'll come up with something." 

He laughed and started the truck. "As long as it's before we get to the loft, be my guest." 

* * *

We walked into the apartment laden with bags. We ended up stopping at Tony's 24hr Grill and picking up two Cobb salads, then swinging by the market to get beverages. Jim took the bag of wedding gifts up into his room as I began to set up lunch. I found that actually having food in front of me was bringing back my appetite, though just slightly. Jim's little reassuring speech outside the truck calmed me down some, but I still had that uncertainty in my head. He came back down and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. 

"Chief, those salads look great. You need a hand?" 

"Nope, all set. Have a seat, man." 

We sat across from each other with our twin lunches - right down to the balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing. He dug in hungrily and made a pleased sound as avocado, egg and blue cheese entered his mouth on a forkful of lettuce. I picked up a slice of bacon and took a small bite. If I didn't start talking, I was going to be ill. 

"Jim, why did you kiss me?" 

Jim finished his bite, swallowed it and took a drink of the beer sitting next to his plate. He set the bottle back down deliberately, tapped the table for a second and took a deep breath. "Because I'd wanted to for a long time and the opportunity presented itself." He cut a piece of chicken and mixed the salad around a little before he took another bite, this one accompanied by a bite of buttered sourdough. 

I stared at him with my mouth open slightly. "That's it? It's that simple?" 

He smiled at me as he continued to eat. My salad, save for the one piece of bacon, remained untouched. 

"Yeah, Blair, it is." 

I took a swig of my beer, as much from the shock of his admission as from the intimate shock of hearing my first name. Plus, my mouth was terribly dry. I frowned as I tried to figure out how to ask what I wanted and needed to know. 

"You wondering if that changes things for us? I mean it sort of has to, at least a little, right?" he asked, gesturing with his bread. 

I nodded dumbly and eventually found words. "I would think so, Jim. You know, you don't..." I hesitated and could feel my face grow hot. I smiled and laughed nervously. "I mean you don't seduce your best friend with fruit every day, you know? This takes us into a whole other..." I shook my head and took another drink. 

"Well, how do you feel about it? I mean it didn't seem like it bothered you, but did it?" Jim's tone became slightly more concerned. "Chief, the last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable, and I realize I didn't give you much of a chance to object..." 

"Geez, Jim," I interrupted him. "What kind of pushover do you think I am that I couldn't have objected if I'd wanted to?" I wasn't angry, but I was feeling a little indignant. "If I hadn't wanted that, I wouldn't have let you." I softened a bit and smiled. "I wouldn't have joined in. Trust me, Jim, there was no discomfort on this end." 

He nodded and took a bite of bread. "I'm glad. I want things to be as normal for us as they can be." 

I laughed with a sound that clearly said, 'Impossible, Jim.' 

"What I mean is," he continued, "that I'd like us to do things as usual. I want us to be friends and partners, I want us to continue to work and play together, I want nothing to change. Well, except...." 

"Except?" I prompted. 

"Except that I want to be able to kiss you like that again." 

I smiled and nodded, taking another drink and breaking off a piece of bread and chewing it. "Are you in love with me?" 

He chuckled and looked at his plate, preparing for another bite of salad. "Chief, I love you, you know that...." 

"Jim," I said quietly but strongly enough to get his attention, "don't be evasive. Please, answer my question." 

And because my Jim is no coward, he put down his fork and folded his hands and looked me squarely in the eyes. "Yes. I am in love with you." 

My heart felt as if it were about to beat right out of my chest. My hands turned to ice and what tiny appetite I had vanished completely. "How long?" I managed to ask. 

"Does it matter?" 

I laughed. A true, hearty laugh that spoke of love and supreme relief. "No, I'm just curious." 

"I honestly don't know," he answered with his own laugh. 

I took another drink of my now lukewarm beer and, liberated by it and my new sense of euphoria, I asked rather saucily, "Okay, you want to be able to kiss me again? Done." I paused. "What else did you have in mind?" 

Jim's face went through a profound change and he slowly pushed his chair away from the table. "Come over here," he commanded quietly with a small smile. 

I got up and walked around to where he sat. He looked up at me, then put his hands on my arms and directed me until I was sitting on his lap, straddling his chair. He ran his hands up to my shoulders and tugged gently, pulling me down into a soft kiss. Our hands moved slowly on each other, exploring and caressing as the kiss lingered and deepened. I cradled his head while he held firm to my waist, holding me as close to him as possible. He pulled his head back and once again looked straight into my eyes, speaking quietly and clearly. "Let's go upstairs, and I'll show you." 

His words sent a delicious chill through me and I wasn't entirely positive I was awake. The doubt was dispelled, however, when I began to feel a few other things besides his mouth and his hands. As if we both clued in at the same time, Jim's hands slipped to my hips and pulled, grinding us together quite nicely. We both made some kind of noise, but hell if I could tell you what it was. That first sensation of his erection against mine just about did me in. 

"Jim," I sort of breathed against his lips. 

"Yeah?" 

"Do you have condoms?" My hips were beginning to rock against him and I dove into his mouth once again. 

"Yes," he whispered against my neck once I'd released him. 

"Okay, good." 

I could feel his hands gripping me tighter, clutching my ass and encouraging me in the most direct way possible to keep moving. My god, he was so hard. Just planes and angles and that incredibly beautiful body hard as steel between my thighs. 

"Do you...uh...uh... ohhh, Jim, god _damn_ you feel good..." 

"Yeah, I have lube, too." 

I had to laugh. It didn't sound like a laugh, but that's what it was. I let my head fall back and felt like I was on an amusement park ride. We rose and fell together, thrusting slowly against each other until I was convinced we just might fall out of the chair. I found his mouth again and moaned into it, expressing my speechless pleasure to him, which he answered with an eloquent tongue. 

Out of nowhere, I lifted my head and said one word that nearly brought him to stillness. "Salad." 

"What?" 

I kissed his eyebrow. "The salad's gonna spoil." 

"Sandburg, I'll buy you another one," he answered with a combination of amusement, annoyance and wonder that I could possibly be thinking about something like that right now. 

"No, go upstairs," I said by his ear as I began to push myself off of him. I licked his lips once firmly for good measure. "Go upstairs and I'll be right up. Get ready." 

He looked at me with a stunned face as I stood up shakily. 

"Jim, go! I'll be up in a second, okay?" 

And he went. 

I couldn't tell you why my brain was suddenly concerned about food waste. Maybe it was the part that realized I hadn't eaten anything since that orange so many hours ago. I'll tell you one thing, though, I was definitely not concerned with the niceties of proper storage. Those salads went into the fridge just like they were, and I was on the bottom stair almost before Jim was off the top one. I may have been hungry, but I was not stupid. I'd been waiting far too long for this. 

* * *

When I got up there, he'd taken off his shirt and was sitting on his bed with his back to me. I stared at his perfect, strong back, that I could practically feel under my hands, and watched him pull items out of what looked like a box and set them on the nightstand. I'd asked if he had condoms and lubricant and there they were, sitting innocently on the table in broad daylight. I couldn't believe this was happening. Jim turned and looked at me, smiled a little shyly. 

"Everything okay with the salad?" 

His voice got me to move finally. As I started to go around the bed, he got up and met me at the foot, then put his hands on my shoulders and ran them down my arms until he was clasping my hands. I grinned up at him. 

"Yeah, I put the rest of yours in there, too. I wasn't sure if you were done or not." 

He put his forehead against mine and laughed quietly. "That's one of the things I love about you, Chief. You're so thoughtful." 

"I try." 

The idea of kissing Jim had always seemed so inconceivable to me. I'd fantasized about it countless times, but by the time we began kiss number three, standing there in Jim's bedroom with him half naked and focused, I'd come to realize that my fantasies had been way off the mark. The thrill of a kiss was nothing to the thrill of kissing _Jim_. I felt like I could kiss him forever and had decided I'd like to give it a try, when he reminded me that there were other activities planned. 

He turned and sat on the bed and began to unbutton my shirt while I stood between his legs. For a while, I just stood there with my hands hanging at my sides, unsure of what to do. For years, I'd been so afraid to touch him. I mean, of course, there'd always been physical contact between us, but there'd also always been a line. That line had been crossed today, and I had to keep reminding myself that this was all real and that I could now touch him any way I wanted to. It was time to put my fears behind me. I lifted my right hand and stroked his ear and his neck, over and over, trembling at the sheer tenderness of it. He looked up at me and gave me one of those small, sweet smiles and tugged my now open shirt off my shoulders. He pushed my undershirt up my chest until I took it and pulled it over my head, dropping it on the floor on top of the other one. 

He pulled me closer to him, burying his face in my belly and inhaling deeply. It took me by surprise and I giggled. He looked up at me and grinned, sliding his hands around to my back and wrapping me in his arms. 

"What?" 

"That tickles!" I answered as I rubbed his back. 

"Really?" he said with a wicked smile and did it again, slower this time and followed by a warm swipe of his tongue across my navel. 

I gasped and squeezed his shoulders tightly. "That doesn't, though." 

His low chuckle rumbled against my stomach and I ran my fingers through his hair and looked down at him. I love the shape of his head; he has a very proud bone structure, if that's possible. I traced his face, glided across those lovely bones and he continued doing what he was doing. Any other time, it would've seemed strange to have someone sniffing and licking me like that. Not bad, necessarily, just maybe a little odd. Jim doing it seemed perfectly normal. His hands roamed all over my chest and my back as he nipped lightly at my ribs with his teeth. It felt so good. I felt so good. I was utterly his and I could've died right then and been happy. 

Ah, but then he began to unbutton my jeans and I decided that death could wait a while. Oh, yeah, death would definitely have to take a back seat to Jim pulling open the fly and peeling down my clothes just enough.... 

Jackpot. Oh, jackpot of the highest order. Okay, I'll tell you something. I've had some pretty talented people do some pretty fantastic things to my body in the past. I've been taken to heaven and back a number of times in my life as far as sex is concerned. Jim had merely (Ha! _Merely_ , I say) run his tongue lightly across the head of my penis, and let me just say the angels were beginning to sing. He pulled down my jeans a little more and began that sniffing and licking thing again. Good god. 

"Jim, please..." I whispered. 

"Please what?" he answered from somewhere in the vicinity of my scrotum. 

The floor felt like it was falling away, taking my sanity right along with it. "God, I don't know," I managed to whine. "Just... more. Please, anything... just..." 

I mentioned earlier that Jim is not a coward. He also rarely has to be told anything more than once. He licked his way right up the entire length of my erection and took it into his mouth as far as it could go, sending me so far out of my mind, I wasn't sure I'd be able - or inclined - to come back. He worked me over beautifully, driving whatever meaningful words I might have wanted to say right from my brain. I do remember being able to force out, "God, Jim, your mouth is fucking _amazing_ ," but that's about it. 

The next thing I knew, I was in the bed, naked and on my back with Jim hovering over me, absolutely going to town on my whole body with his mouth and hands. It was as if years of pent up desire were pouring out from him and I struggled valiantly to keep up. After a while, though, I realized that this... I don't know, _claiming_ of me was something he needed to do, so I let him. At one somewhat calm moment while he was kneeling above me rubbing his nose up the center of my chest, I reached down and began to un-do his belt to get to his jeans. In my opinion, it was way past time for those to be gone. He took my hands, kissed them and laid them on either side of my head. He then pulled himself upright and finished what I'd started. 

There's something I find so erotic about watching someone undress. Sure, I'll gladly do the undressing, but being an observer, I like to watch. The act of disrobing has that wonderful combination of sexuality and vulnerability that just gets me going - in the right circumstances, of course. So, you can imagine that seeing Jim on his knees towering over me and stripping was pretty impressive. I reflexively grabbed the pillow in both hands and smiled at him. 

"Anyone ever tell you how sexy you are, Jim?" 

He laughed and got off the bed to fully remove his clothing. "No, not to my face." He climbed back on the bed and crawled toward me. 

"You mean, you've heard it, but no one's actually said it to you?" I asked, smiling at the idea of Jim hearing his compliments from blocks away instead of right in his ear. He pulled one of my thighs over his and turned us so that I was lying on top of him. Feeling him like this was another mind-blowing shock. I rubbed against him a little and gasped, but I forced my mind to clear enough to allow me to speak. I looked at him and put my hands on his face and gave him an intimate smile. "You are the sexiest man I've ever known." 

His hips shifted upwards and my smile turned predatory. I felt his hands drift down my back to grip my ass, and when he thrust again, I shut my eyes and moaned, letting my head fall forward. 

"You're not so bad yourself, Sandburg." 

I opened my eyes just long enough to look into his before I kissed him. That amusement park ride had started up again, because we were gliding and thrusting, pushing and pulling like there was no tomorrow. We kissed and grasped at each other with a ferocity that was welcome to me; the frustration of waiting was being purged from both of us and I felt like all the stops had been pulled out. We moved constantly and ended up flipped over. I had one leg between his, riding his thigh and all but climbing on him when he broke a kiss and whispered harshly, "Blair, I want you." 

I successfully pulled my brain back out of my dick for a few more random words. "Tell me," I answered against his lips. "I'm yours, Jim. Tell me what you want." 

That seemed to be enough instruction for him, because I felt his weight suddenly disappear as he raised himself onto his knees again, then none too gently urged me onto my stomach. I was more than willing to comply and I moved quickly, opening my legs almost immediately. The movement stopped him in his tracks. 

"Jim? What's wrong?" 

I felt his hand come down softly on my right hip, slide up to the small of my back then start to drop lower. "Jesus, Blair," he said so quietly I could barely hear him. I felt his thumb dip into the crease and my body heat skyrocketed. For a blindingly quick moment I wondered what his senses were picking up. Then I forgot about that when I felt him stroke my perineum, then rub softly back and forth over my anus until I really did think I might go crazy. My eyes were closed, so I didn't see him pick the lube up, but I felt his hand leave my body for a second and return, cool and slick, to continue what he'd been doing. I moved against his hand, moaning and shaking, clutching the sheet spasmodically, with my legs as wide as they could go. When he slipped a single finger inside, I drew in a deep breath and held it for a second before I released it in a series of short ones. He was being so careful and I was so beyond that, it wasn't even funny. 

"Okay," I managed. "I'm fine, Jim, come on." 

The hand left me again and I heard the familiar ripping of a condom packet. Against my better judgment, I turned my head to watch him and saw him efficiently sheath himself with lubricated latex. Seeing that intimate action was somehow more startling than having his finger in my ass and I felt myself begin to freak out a little. What on earth had I gotten myself into? 

"Shit," I murmured into the pillow as I tightened right back up. 

His left hand rubbed soothingly between my shoulderblades. "Blair, it's okay. It's all okay." 

I felt him then. I felt his cock - hot and hard like the rest of him - nudging me, politely seeking entrance. My body was still at odds with my heart, though, and I was still tense. If I couldn't relax, this was going to be over before it started. Jim pulled away then leaned down close, kissing my shoulders and stroking me everywhere. 

"What is it?" he asked in a tone that was almost enough to do the trick all by itself. 

"I'm just a little... unhinged by the whole thing," I answered, frustrated that we'd come to a complete halt after such a promising start, all because of me. 

"Look at me." 

I turned over, a little awkwardly since I was still somewhat hard, and looked at that gorgeous face. Just looking at him made me begin to calm down even more. 

"Is it that you've never...." he began. 

I quickly put my fingers over his lips and shook my head. "Whether I have or haven't has nothing to do with it, Jim. This is all about you and me, here." I laughed and looked up at the ceiling. "I can't believe you're about to fuck me!" 

He chuckled and ran his fingertips over my nipples, then leaned down and took one of my balls in his mouth, letting it slip back out after a bit. "Do you want me to?" 

"Yes," I said, as my eyes closed and my legs oh-so-slowly began to drift open. 

He took my penis into his mouth again, gave it a nice and thorough once over, and then came up to my lips as his hands opened me up even more. "Would it help if we did it this way?" he breathed into my mouth before kissing me breathless. 

My answer was to pull my knees up to my chest, baring everything to him. It was easier seeing him, I discovered. There was something about being able to see his eyes that made it all so much better. He stroked my inner thighs and positioned himself again, pushing firmly and slowly inside. I was determined not to close my eyes; I needed to see everything that was happening. I wanted to watch him fill me as we made the irrevocable leap from friends to lovers. 

The entire day had been a series of shocks and sensational discoveries, each one building upon the one before. This one clearly topped the list. No past experience, no self-exploration, no fantasies, no _nothing_ could've possibly prepared me for what this would feel like. I'm not just talking physically, I'm talking the whole kit and caboodle. Jim was inside me the way nothing and no one had ever been or would ever be, simply because it was _him_. It was what I'd been trying to say to him earlier, but couldn't really find the right words to express. I loved him with every cell in my body and this moment was of the utmost importance. Now, to feel him move within me, to see him sweating and swaying above me, and to hear those words of beauty and love and sex - surrounding _my_ name - come from _his_ mouth made every sensation feel one hundred times better. 

At one point, I stopped us and turned over. Now that I was as relaxed as I could possibly be, I wanted to feel what he originally wanted it to feel like. He entered me again, and I moaned with heartfelt pleasure when it felt like I was being lovingly ground into the bed. His weight was warm and heavy on my back and I grabbed the railing to give myself some sort of leverage. He brought his face close to mine, and this time I not only could hear him whisper how much he loved this, I could feel his voice skate across my ear. I shuddered violently and met one of his thrusts with a solid one of my own, which just sort of set us both off. He grabbed a handful of my hair and lifted it off my neck, holding it tightly against my scalp while he positively laid waste to my ear, my jaw, my neck and my shoulder. That was just what I needed to go flying headlong into orgasm. It was only a matter of a few seconds before my beloved sentinel followed me there. 

We lay for a few breathless moments, unable and unwilling to speak, certainly unable to move just yet. I opened my eyes and looked over the railing at the rest of the apartment. Seeing it from this point of reference made what just happened even more real. Or *sur*real, at the very least. I looked at the sofa that Jim and I sit on to watch television and my thoughts were interrupted quickly by the moment at hand, namely that of Jim removing himself from my body. I moaned in the sheer disbelief of it all and shook my head with a laugh as he shifted slightly to discard the condom. He came up beside me and pulled me up on top of him again, thoughtfully taking me out of the wet spot I was lying in, and kissed me. I put a pillow under his head and kissed him back. 

"What's so funny?" 

I looked closely at him. I looked at the laugh lines around his eyes and the sharp angle of his nose. I looked into his eyes and at the lips that create his beautiful smile. Nothing was funny at all, really, though I was still feeling a bit hysterical. 

I shook my head slowly. "I love you so much, Jim. I just can't believe... I can't believe any of it, to be honest." 

He pulled me down for a deep and slow kiss and rested his hands on my shoulders while we enjoyed each other's post-coital languor. 

"It _was_ a really good orange, Chief," he said with a straight face. 

I laughed into his chest and shook my head again. Things weren't really going to change that much after all. 

* * *

End Terra Cotta by afropuff: placespleez@yahoo.com

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